Are European Painters Getting Younger?

As construction sites across Europe buzz with activity, the workforce behind the scenes is quietly shifting. In our latest Painter Insight Monitor – a yearly report in which we interview painters directly to get a clear read on the branch – an interesting trend has come about.

To answer shortly – no, Europe’s professionals aren’t getting younger. While the share of Gen-Y is increasing, this doesn’t mean more of them are entering the profession, but rather that we’re seeing a generational transition, resulting in a change in the overall makeup. Baby boomers – who still make up about 18% of the workforce – are gradually retiring, and this outflow is reshaping the overall profile of European painters. This means that younger painters make up more of the share because they’re the ones staying in circulation. But there still isn’t enough of them filling the ranks to offset this shift. The remainder of workers may be comparatively younger, but this isn’t making up for the professional gap. The Gen-Y increase is higher in Belgium and Spain (up by 20 points), but a majority of workers (some 46%) consists of Gen-X, i.e. workers from age 43 to 58.

Take the UK for example, where the average age of painters reached 55 in 2023, clearly highlighting an older workforce. So, as more of them retire, the industry’s average age will drop, but not due to an influx of younger workers. In fact, Europe faces an acute labor shortage in the painting sector, with countries like the Netherlands, Denmark and Spain reaching 89.3%, 86.7% and 84.6% respectively. The numbers are looking better in France (43.5%), but a shortage of almost 50% can hardly be considered good news. This generational shift is leading to a younger workforce, yes, but also a smaller one, and this shortfall could hit the industry hard. The combination of aging professionals leaving and fewer younger ones entering suggests that Europe’s labor shortage in the painting industry may further deteriorate in the coming years. While younger generations are staying in circulation, the real challenge is that not enough young workers are entering the field to replace the retiring professionals, leaving the industry struggling to fill the gap.

For companies relying on skilled painters, it’s time to focus on attracting new talent and investing in sustainable workforce solutions. The future of Europe’s painting industry may be evolving, but without new entrants, it’s a future with fewer hands on deck.